20th Mirtul, 1353 DR - Tethyr
Powerful wings kept Etharzi in the air, above curious eyes and obvious danger. Flying in circles. Feeling with each beat of the wings the corruption, the seeping evil below. Yet he could not go. He was not the one chosen. He was not the desired champion. The conduit who Sune had chosen to carry and deliver her own power. There would be no chance for him to defeat the evil which was there unless it was Sune's direct will and she herself infused him.
The champion... the conduit was already in place.
His wings beat almost tirelessly. Then he felt it. His goddess' presence. Sudden and strong, infusing the champion. Golden eyes were cast to the ground. Of course he could not see it but he could sense from exactly where that power came from. It was a warmth which he felt through his entire being, his goddess' direct touch present below.
Yet Etharzi waited.
It was not for him to act. The sensation grew stronger and stronger, then became weaker. He felt the corruption becoming weaker as well. It gave him some pause. The decision was done there, in an instant. He dove down, air rushing past his pointed ears, guided by a purpose. His hands extended before him as he invoked words of divine power at the caverns below, Sune's power felt on his skin a brief moment before the stone disintegrated with a bright light. He descended through the opening, his golden form which was usually awe-inspiring did not draw away many of the eyes present from the fallen figure. Crumbling pieces of armor surrounded Adelaide. She was visibly shaking and her eyes moved around deliriously.
A man held her, while another one ran towards her. Yet it was almost too late. He could sense it, life leaving her. However, Sune's touch was still upon her. "Daughter," he spoke one word in Celestial but it was infused with love. Her amber eyes found his golden ones, focusing on him, and she smiled despite the pain which ravaged through her broken body. Even in her state, she was still beautiful.
A man in golden armor, blessed by Lathander spoke calmly to others. "Adelaide accepted her God's will and brought it into herself to defeat the darkness that was here. Because of it, she can no longer live and must answer the calling to her Goddess's plane." Perhaps it was truth, perhaps it was not. Etharzi did not acknowledge the words and did not break the eye contact with his descendant. The only one he had left now.
"Adelaide... what... what will I do... Please... please don't leave me..." A female voice spoke, stricken, pleading. His attention did not waver and he moved gracefully towards Adelaide. One of the men in dark armor near Adelaide spoke out of grief and anger, "You can't take her! No!" Another woman stood nearby, holding a holy chalice of Siamorphe. Some distance away a bald man in red robes spoke, "I suppose that's the only way to kill a divine creature."
The pleading woman spoke again to all present, "I... Please.... I... can't you heal her? She can't go... I promised.... I promised." Yet he knew these wounds were none that could be healed by anyone present, not even himself. The man holding Adelaide spoke as a tear trickled down his cheek, a warrior of Tempus, "A choice made. A destiny accepted." The same man bid the dark armored man to move aside. "You can't heal her. Her Goddess has called her," the Lathanderite spoke again.
"I saw you... in... in my dreams..." Adelaide spoke quietly in Celestial to the astral deva, the words barely able to form. "I have always been with you daughter." This time Etharzi's words were infused not only with love but with reassurance. He knelt down on one knee, carefully reaching for her with hands that usually would strike down at fiends with righteous fury, gathering her up in his arms with the aid of the man who had held her. Adelaide groaned from pain but stayed conscious, her eyes not leaving his.
A woman touched by Selune spoke, "It was her honor, she said. It is what her goddess asked of her, and it is what she m-m-must do." The man in dark armor, he sensed it now. A holy man of Hoar, a difficult call to have answered, spoke again, "Please...just five minutes..." But there was not enough time already. "I promised... I promised..." Now pleading in Celestial yet Etharzi continued to ignore anyone who addressed him but Adelaide.
"Rest... rest." His voice was soft, focused on Adelaide. "I saw you..." She tried to repeat the words but no more would come. Etharzi stood up carefully, cradling the broken form and kissed her bloodied brow. She was very cold, freezing. Celestial words were spoken by the Selunite, "We shall have that dance one day yet, my sister. Until then, I will keep my promises and I will continue in your lead."
He beat his powerful golden wings, gaining momentum before soaring out from the same opening in the cavern ceiling from which he had arrived, sparing no glance at the grief stuck people he left behind. He had not come for them, they were not his concern. In time, they would find their way. The wingbeats carried himself and Adelaide up into the sky quickly. The sense of taint from below became weaker but he could now more clearly feel it from her. He adjusted his grip, glancing down and noting she had fallen unconscious. One of his hands extended gracefully outwards, invoking another divine power making the air shift in front of them, creating a path straight to Brightwater, to home.
The shift in planes was something he was accustomed to but the transition from the corrupted place to the holy one still had a profound effect on his whole being. This was where he was closest to Sune and most powerful, her radiance invigorating him. He heard Adelaide's unconscious form suddenly gasp as she experienced the change. The air over Hearthfire Quarter was infused with love, it was intoxicating even to a being such as Etharzi. Of all the quarters in Brightwater, Lady Firehair's happened to be the quietest, a sense of tranquillity was present without the loud sounds of merrymaking or busy markets. Secluded gardens and courtyards were scattered among the buildings.
Carried on shining pinions, watchful celestials acknowledged Etharzi's arrival, both greeting their kin and ensuring no danger came in his wake. The charge in his arms did not go unnoticed by them. Etharzi did not pause and flew over the treetops and buildings as he sought the place where the skilled healers reside. His golden eyes looked down at Adelaide once again. The facial tattoos in Celestial were visible through blood but Shar's touch had now manifested outwards. A web of black shadows had appeared during the flight, threatening to darken her skin. He could however still feel Sune's presence on her, weak as it was.
His goddess knew what he had done. It was all in her hands now, if her blessing was removed he knew Shar's corruption would win over the holy divine. Before his eyes, Adelaide began to shine with a red, pink and white scintillating aura. It was the sign his heart desired to see and he felt the warmth and love radiating from her. Even so, he beat his golden wings faster.
Disclaimer: 'Daughter' is only a term of endearment. There are multiple generations between Adelaide and Ertharzi.
Thank you to all present at this event back in May: DM Hera, Talas, Wren, Derik, Lannia (early on), Pashuz (yes, the evil RW), Rania, Eldboy, Chorizo.